The Secret of the Lyrithian Flower
by Elleon10e
Summary: A strange sickness has arrived in Camp Half Blood. Two new campers explore to find a cure in this exiting tale with all new characters.
1. I ride in a red sports car

CHAPTER ONE

_I ride in a red sports car_

I've always been a morning person.

I don't know why the rising sun gives me energy, but five am is the best part of my day. I was sitting on the porch, watching the orange sun peak over the horizon. With a notebook in hand, I waited for inspiration.

During normal daytime hours, I was an average ADHD kid. I can never sit still or pay attention during classes—most of which wouldn't make sense anyway—but for some reason, I can think deeply during the very first hours of the day.

Morning

Bright, warm, energizing

Begin, soak, feel

Gives me energy

The Sun

We lived in a small, two-bedroom home in southern England. I was born in the US but my mom and I moved here when I was about four, about the same time I last saw my dad.

I hardly noticed when my mom sat next to me, gazing longingly at the sun.

"Isn't it beautiful?" She said with a hint of sorrow. I looked up at her. Her hair was a mess and she was still wearing her orange pajamas and T-shirt. She had baggy eyes with tears and a sad smile on her lips. I could tell she had just gotten out of bed to talk to me.

"You're just like your father, have I told you that before?" I was shocked she was talking about him. I hadn't seen him since I was very young, and every time I mentioned my father, she would start tearing up and change the subject.

"He was a morning person, too," she said, looking at the horizon. "He loved poetry, and he really loved you and me. I hope you understand that he truly loved us."

"Then why did he leave?"

"It's complicated," I really wanted to know more, but she was closing up and I understood why it was a touchy subject. "Let's go inside," she said after and uncomfortable silence.

I followed her inside and sitting on the table was a bouquet of yellow flowers, my favorite color.

"Happy birthday, Liane," she smiled, holding a small, brightly colored box.

I ran up to her and hugged her tightly.

"Thanks Mom!" I whispered to her, right before letting her go.

"You haven't even opened your present yet!" she put the box in my hands. As I unwrapped it she said, "I know its not much but…"

"It's perfect!" I exclaimed when I pulled out a bracelet with little yellow daisies around it. "You didn't have to get up this early to give it to me, Mom," I told her suddenly realizing that this hour of the day was way too early for her.

"I know," She said with a smile. "But I knew this is the best time of day for you. I wanted it to be extra special, Liane."

I gave her another hug. "You're the best!"

"Honey, it's almost six," she said, looking at the clock. "You'd better get ready for school."

My mom made me take early morning classes so I would have something to focus on when I have the ability to concentrate. I went into my room to get dressed, and when I got back to the kitchen, my mom had made me some eggs, sunny-side up. After eating, I found my mom fully dressed and waiting for me.

"School doesn't start for another half-hour," I said, looking at her with question.

"Change of plans," she said, although I had a feeling she had been planning this for a while. "Go pack a bag and meet me out in the car. I'm taking you somewhere… special."

I took only a few things. I packed a few changes of clothes, a notebook with my favorite songs in it, and my favorite purple pen. I met my mom in our small, beat-up old truck, with my duffel bag.

"Where are we going?" I asked suspiciously.

"You'll see."

It was only a few minutes before we pulled over at a small park. The only other car here was a bright red Maserati, which I thought was a bit strange. There was a man standing next to it, looking around as if he was looking for someone. I quickly realized it was us when he looked our way.

"Liane," My mother said quietly. "That man is your father."

Several things ran through my mind. How could my mom tell from that far away? Even if that were my dad, why wouldn't he help us out a little if he was financially set? I looked up at my mom questioningly.

"He has to take you the rest of the way to camp,"

"Wait, 'camp'?" I asked. "What is this all about?"

"You'll see," she answered, knowing something I didn't. "Just go with him and listen to him, please."

I walked toward him reluctantly.

"Dad?" I asked hesitantly.

"Oh Liane," he said, smiling, "you've grown so much since I last saw you."

"Please don't fool around," my mom had followed me without me realizing. "Explain to her, and get her there safely." My mom turned to me. "Liane, I want you to go with him. Be patient and listen to him. Trust him, please."

As she went back to her car, I had a strange feeling I wouldn't be seeing her for a while.

"Look how much you've grown!" He said enthusiastically. "You've got to be old enough to drive! You wanna take it for a spin?"

"Are you joking?" I shook my head in astonishment. "I'm only fourteen and you want me to drive your sports car? Heck no!"

"Oh well, your loss." He jumped in the driver seat and turned the ignition. "Come on, get in! We talk on the way there."

I was hesitant.

"Trust me," He said playfully. "Just get in sometime today please."

I hopped in the passenger seat reluctantly.

"I have a ton to tell you." He started driving. "You know about the Greek Gods and Goddesses, right?"

"Yeah, and what do they have to do with anything?" I said, wondering where the heck he was going with this. "But that's all ancient mythology."

He looked a quite offended. "Well you little…" He regained control of himself. "Well you know how the Gods would sometimes have demigod children with mortals, right?"

"Sure, supposing they were real."

"Well, Liane," He looked very upset with me. "You just happen to be a demigod."

I looked at him with alarm. "WHAT THE CRAP ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL ME!" I didn't want to believe him, but I took a deep breath. "Supposing you're telling me the truth, that would make you…"

"A god," He said matter-of-factly, "Apollo to be exact." He roared the engine and next thing I knew we were miles above Europe.

"WHAT KIND OF DRUGS ARE YOU ON!" I screamed, soon realizing that I was more likely the one hallucinating.

"No drugs," Apollo said. "Just the best sun chariot yet! Haha!" He put on some sunglasses and handed me a pair. I put them on, realizing it was actually bright up there. He turned on the radio as we flew across the sky. Cake is an awesome band… and dessert.

After I calmed down a bit, I asked him, "So the whole Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Hermes, Athena, Olympus nonsense is true?"

Thunder rolled the sky.

"I would avoid offending Zeus if I were you," Apollo warned. "He's already ticked off at your 'That's all ancient mythology' comment." He looked at me sternly. "Or any of the Gods for that matter. Try to stay on their good side, please."

"Okay," I said defensively, "I'm sorry, alright?" We sat in silence for a few minutes, flying over the Atlantic Ocean. "So what about Mt. Olympus, is it still there?"

"Not where it used to be," Apollo said. "Ever since people have been moving towards the US, the Gods have been moving too. Mt. Olympus happens to be floating high above the empire state building. A bunch of other important places have moved as well. We generally like to refer to this as 'Western Civilization.' We're almost at our destination, buckle up."

I had no idea what he meant by "buckle up" but I could see the continental US ahead of us. After a few minutes, we landed in a small clearing on Long Island.

"Kids who are half god

Need to train to be heroes

But I might help out"

"Wow. I didn't know the God of poetry could make up such a bad Haiku." I said, looking at him and trying not to laugh.

"Hey! That's not nice!" He retorted. "Anyways, Chiron has made arrangements for you, so make yourself comfortable." With that, my father, Apollo, was gone.

I stood wondering what had just happened in the last several hours, when someone walked up to me. I looked up hand had to do a double take. I saw the top half of a middle-aged man, but the bottom half of a horse.

"Hello, my name is Chiron," He said, "Welcome to Camp Half Blood, Liane Rowley."


	2. I win then I lose

CHAPTER TWO

_I win then I lose_

I followed him through the trees, with my bag hanging over my shoulder. I had a strange feeling that the trees were watching me. We walked along an animal trail that could have easily been created by Chiron himself. We passed a lake where several kids were canoeing. After our short nature hike, we came to a large clearing. Off to one side there was a light blue house the size of a small hotel surrounded in strawberry fields. Chiron led me to another area where a girl, with honey-colored hair tied in a high ponytail, was fighting three other kids at once. She was kicking butt. I watched her fight until she hat all three of them in defenseless positions. She then helped them up and shook their hands. I have no idea how she did it, but, alone, this girl beat three other kids.

The girl walked toward me and said, "Hey." When she got closer, I realized this expert fighter was also stunningly beautiful. She had intense emerald eyes and her hair was straight as a pin. It pulled back to show elfish features that made her look even more stunning. "You're Liane, right?"

"Yeah," I said suspiciously, "but why does everyone seem to know my name?"

"Not everyone knows your name, silly," she teased, "My name is Jace Estelle Teirson, but you can just call me Jace. Chiron told me you were going to be here today. He said something about your dad planning this for years, but he just wanted me to show you around camp, so come on!"

I wanted her to stop, rewind, and say that again slower, but she was already walking away.

"Over where we just were, that's the arena. Over there," she pointed to the large house I had seen before, "We call that the Big House." She also showed me an outdoor pavilion—where we eat—on a hill overlooking the sea. It was framed in white Grecian Columns and had a dozen stone picnic tables. We started through the forest again, as Jace showed me the canoeing lake, the stables, and the Archery range. Shortly after sightseeing, Jace finally showed me the cabins.

There were twelve of them, arranged in a U shape, and nestled in the woods. They were definitely the strangest collection of buildings I had ever seen. Except for having a large, brass number, they looked nothing alike. Evens on the right, odds on the left and number one and two were in the middle.

She showed them to me from left to right, starting with cabin eleven. Jace told me it was her dad's cabin—Hermes. It was the cabin that looked the most like an average summer camp cabin. It was packed full of kids and the brown paint was peeling, but the odd thing was the caduceus—a pair of snakes wrapped around a cross—carved above the door.

Number nine was the Hephaestus cabin, which looked like a mini factory. It had tall smokestacks, billowing with gray columns of smoke. Inside kids were hammering on all kinds of things. It obviously was used as a forge.

The next was my dad's cabin, which Jace could hardly look at. She asked me if it was nearly blinding, but you see, light didn't affect me the same as it does to other people. Anyway, Apollo's cabin was bright gold and it looked like it just might be home to me.

The Ares Cabin was number five. It was painted bright red, there was barbed wire on the roof, it had the head of a boar above the door, and I could hear very annoying metal music from inside. A boy about my age was standing awkwardly outside the door.

His wet hair was very dark. It could have been brown or black, I couldn't really tell. He wore an orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt—like most everyone else—and pants that didn't quite fit him. He stood tall and had impressive posture. His muscular body had ton's of scars and he was kind of short.

"That's Ker," Jace said, "He's new here too. Did you see his wicked scar? It's, like, four inches long!"

I looked at her, surprised she didn't lower her voice when talking about someone only a few yards away. "He's right there, you know," I told her.

"Oh he doesn't speak much English at all." She leaned in closer to me, "Is it just me, or is he kinda cute?"

We moved along to cabin number three. It was made of gray stone and as we passed it, I caught a whiff of salt water.

"That's Poseidon's cabin," she said, thinking. "That one has an interesting background. Right after World War II, the big three—Poseidon, Zeus, and Hades—made a pact."

"What kind of pact?" I asked, instantly interested in the story.

"Well, demigods have existed for the gods know how long. George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., Hitler, and many other famous people are believed to have been demigods. After World War II, there was a prophecy made that stated something about the next child of one of the big three to turn sixteen would be a powerful weapon to save or destroy the gods. The big three were forced into a pact that none of them would have children with mortals again. Of course, none of them could keep the pact forever. Believe it or not, they all had children. Percy Jackson was ironically the one born last, but was the one in the prophecy. The Poseidon cabin had been vacant until he came along. To make a long story short, Percy Jackson was a great hero."

"So whatever happened to the pact?"

"They got rid of it," she said, like it was no big deal. "Poseidon has a daughter named Rayne and Zeus has twins named Ben and Jamie. Funny that as soon as the pact went away, both of them went and had kids."

"But what about Hades?" I asked. "You said he was in on the pact as well."

Her voice darkened, which seemed odd for her. "I wouldn't say his name very loud, even here," Jace cautioned. "No one really knows if he has any kids."

She cheered up quickly as we moved along to cabins one and two. They looked somewhat like his and hers cabins and Jace told me they were the cabins of Zeus and Hera.

Zeus's Cabin was definitely the biggest of all the cabins. It had huge, polished bronze doors with little lightning bolts carved in it that sparkled at different angles.

Hera's cabin, number two, had much slimmer columns than cabin number one. The outside was decorated with flowers and pomegranates, and the walls had beautiful carvings of peacocks all over it.

We came to cabin four which Jace told me was Demeter's Cabin. The roof was made of grass and there were tomato vines growing up the walls. A girl was outside, watering some of the many flowers. She was African-American and looked about nineteen. Her long, dark, wavy hair was pulled back and she smiled while working.

"That's Naomi. She's really sweet." Jace obviously didn't care to elaborate and we moved on.

Athena's cabin was number six. It was a beautiful silver color and there was an owl above the doorway. The windows had plain white curtains and inside was wall-to-wall with books.

I heard hoof steps behind us.

"I told you to be done by ten-thirty, Jace," Chiron looked disapprovingly at Jace. "Archery started twenty minutes ago!"

"Sorry Chiron," she said sheepishly.

We followed Chiron to the archery range. We had to be nearly sprinting in order to keep up with his trotting. Eventually, we tired and let him leave our sight. It didn't matter much because we were already almost there.

Chiron fitted me with a bow and some arrows. He taught me the basics of archery and demonstrated a shot for me. I've never held a bow in my life, but as soon as Chiron placed it in my hands, it felt like it was supposed to be there. He walked me through the steps and as I looked down the shaft, I focused my eyes on the bullseye of the target 20 yards away. I breathed, then released.

My eyes widened. Jace looked at me with amazement, which soon turned to jealousy. I had hit the very center of the target. I looked over to Jace. She must have shot at least three arrows by the time I shot one. There were no arrows in her target. For however long she had trained here, Jace was horrible at archery. I felt bad because I had been perfect on my first try.

Chiron looked at me approvingly and I practiced a bit more. He left to help others for a while, but when he came back to me, he seemed impressed by how many arrows I had managed to squeeze onto the bulls-eye space.

Jace's jealousy turned to rage and she stormed off. While I had been shooting, she had managed to get a single arrow in her target. Some of her other arrows got stuck in trees and other targets—including mine. The rest were scattered on the ground and up the hillside behind the targets.

I asked Chiron what I should do next. He told me to try helping Ker, who was struggling.

I walked up to the nervous boy. He was strongly built and even looked like he could beat Jace. He didn't look like he trusted me when I moved my hand toward him.

"It's okay," I said, but quickly remembered he didn't speak English. I touched his arm and the next thing I knew I was pinned to the ground.

Chiron said something, in what sounded like ancient Greek. I didn't understand it at first, but soon I realized he said, "Ker, she's a friend." It didn't even occur to me that I understood ancient Greek.

Ker released his grip, but kept untrusting eyes on me. Chiron told him to pick up the bow and let me help him. I stood up and put my arms around him in the position to shoot. He tensed, but let me guide him into a shot. I couldn't be sure of accuracy, but I left him in that stance when Chiron told him to let the arrow go.

"Not bad," I said after the arrow hit the target, but then I remembered he didn't speak English. I nodded approvingly to him.

I remembered that Jace had left angry at me and asked Chiron where she would have gone. He told me she usually goes to the Arena when she needs to cool off.

When I got there, I found Jace fighting several dummies with two bronze swords.

"How about fighting me instead of those dummies?" I said, trying to let her anger towards me die down.

"Without a sword?" Jace went into the armory nearby and emerged with two similar practice swords, rather than the bronze ones. She handed one to me and the fight began.

I managed to block her first strike, but her second knocked me to the ground and left me with a shallow cut. I blocked one more attack before Jace quickly disarmed me. I was still on my butt when she placed her blade tip to my throat. I put my hands up in surrender.

"I win!" Jace said, looking at me with a grin. She lowered her sword and offered me a hand. "You really suck at this." I took her hand and we laughed.

"See?" I said, "I don't hate you."

Together, we left for lunch.


	3. Ker mades a bold move

CHAPTER THREE

_Ker makes a bold move_

Jace sat at table eleven and pointed to the table with as many as hers. "That's where you sit."

I walked to the table.

"Hi," I said sheepishly. "I'm Liane Rowly."

A boy, who looked about 17, had cherry-blonde hair, and a friendly smile, stood up.

"Hello, Liane," He said, "I'm Marcus Hale, current cabin leader." He started pointing out the other kids at table seven. "That's Belle, Lilly, Josh, Timmy, and Tommy on that side; Megan, Krystal, Shannon, Andrew, Taylor, and Holly on the other."

There was no way I would remember all those names, but I said, "Hello," and sat down across from Marcus.

Chiron stood in front of the tables. He made a speech about camp and the gods. He then released us to get food by table. The largest were number five, six, seven, and eleven. Ares, Athena, Apollo, and Hermes. The rest of the tables held about one to ten kids each.

It was soon our turn to get food. I filled my plate with food and was about to sit down when Marcus pulled me aside.

"You need to give part of your meal back to the gods as a burnt offering. They like the smell." He pulled me towards the fire. "Make sure it's the best. The most juicy piece of fruit, the most buttery roll, stuff like that." He put some of his food in the fire and said a quick prayer. "Thank Dad," he whispered to me on the way back to the Apollo table.

I scooped the best parts of my meal in to the fire. It seemed silly that the gods like the smell of burning food, but whatever.

"Apollo?" I said, wondering if he was really listening. "Dad... Thanks." I paused. "Thank you for getting me here. I never got to tell you, but, I loved riding in your car." I slide a little more into the fire, felling generous, and left for my seat, still wondering if he heard me.

After lunch we finally headed for Cabin seven. I had been waiting all day to see my new home.

A simple sun was carved above the door. The cabin was a very bright gold and radiated warmth like the sun. The roof was made of glass and domed high so from inside you could easily see the sun shining above. The windows were open and had slotted panes that were angled to let the most light in. There were five bunk beds on the right and five on the left. There were also two on the wall with the door, making 24 total. There was a surround sound system that seemed to play whatever music you wanted. There were all kinds of interesting and common instruments along with a golden bow and arrow on the back wall.

"Wow," I said, looking around. I could hear "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay on the surround sound.

"You can sleep there," Marcus pointed to an empty bunk.

I slumped my bag down on the bed and noticed a small box sitting on my pillow. The tag said, "Happy Birthday, Liane" nothing else.

Marcus glanced over to me. "I didn't see that before." He motioned for everyone else to come watch me. Next thing I knew, 18 sets of eyes were trying to see my present. I don't think anyone else heard it, but the music changed to "Happy Birthday." I opened the box and pulled the gift out.

I recognized it was similar to an ipod touch, but it was thinner and instead of having an apple engraved in the back, there was a sun symbol. Another thing, it was yellow. Touches didn't come in color, last I checked. I looked for the gigabyte amount, but that was another thing it lacked.

"LUCKY!" Marcus shouted. "Dad never gives ME anything like that!"

One of the other kids pointed to the golden bow. "Remember what he got you last year? I don't think her present from dad can slay monsters."

I didn't really care if my gift could slay monsters, so I turned it on and put the earphones in my ears. "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers was already playing. I looked around the... Apollopod? sunpod? Whatever, and all it's features. It didn't have a battery so I figured it ran on magic. All of the songs on it were ones I liked. In fact, there wasn't a song I looked for that wasn't on there. It must be enchanted. It even asked me if I wanted it to let me listen to new songs when they came out. I turned this feature "on."

"Come on," Marcus said, still annoyed with me. "Hide that somewhere," he said, motioning to the ipod. "You don't want some Hermes kid taking it, do you?" He lead our cabin to the arena.

The Hermes and Ares cabins were also there. I smiled at Ker and he smiled shyly back.

Jace was glaring at Marcus as I approached her.

"Why don't you like him?" I asked her.

"He's a jerk," Jace replied with disgust. Obviously there was something going on that I didn't quite understand.

"What's so wrong with him?"

"He's your brother how could you understand?"

I let it drop.

"Want to teach me how to really fight?" I asked, changing the subject.

Jace laughed to herself and I followed her to sit in the stands. Jace pointed out the technique of several campers, some good and some not-so-good.

After watching several battles, Jace told me to follow her.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because a future swimmer must get into the water."

I had absolutely no idea what she meant, but complied to go with her.

We wound around the arena to the armory. Inside, she directed me to some of the thinner swords.

"Pick one," she instructed. "Try and get one fairly balanced for you."

I picked up a sword and held it in both hands. How the hack was I supposed to know which one was right for me? A few other campers were in the armory as well. Ker, I noticed, looked like a kid in a candy store, but much more deadly.

While looking through weapons, I hadn't noticed Jace had left until she came back carrying some leather armor. She situated the pieces on me. Altogether it was fairly lightweight.

"Found one yet?" Jace had the same leather get-up on and was holding a long, slim sword.

I picked a thin sword, slightly shorter than Jace's.

"Yep, let's go!" We went out to the arena and our swords began clanging. Jace went easier on me and talked me through some defensive moves so I could "Survive in the /real/ world."

One of her swings was a little too hard and I was on my butt. Again. My sword had clattered just out of reach and Jace was swinging for my head.

The next moment was a blur.


	4. I teach a child

CHAPTER FOUR  
I teach a child

"No!" I shouted after surveying the damage.

When Jace had swung at me, I knew she would stop at my neck, before drawing any blood. I guess Ker didn't see it that way. He had tackled her, thinking she wanted to kill his defenseless friend, me. Now, Ker had Jace pinned to the ground. His hands were clasped around her neck, cutting off her air supply. Jace struggled to free herself. I had shouted, hoping Ker understood the word.

Ker's hands loosened and Jace gasped vital oxygen. He looked up with eyes saying, "but…" Ker gestured to Jace, who was wriggling beneath him, with one hand. "Kill," he said. Then he pointed to me.

"Friends," I said, pointing to me and Jace. He appeared to get it. "Train," I said, hoping that word would make sense, too. He didn't get it and went back to chocking Jace.

"No!" I shouted again. Ker loosened his hands again. This time Jace struggled from his grasp. He didn't pay any attention to her anymore.

I pointed to Ker and then to myself and said, "friends." I pointed to Jace, then myself and said, "friends," again. Ker nodded slowly. For someone who knew absolutely no English, he was a fast learner. I smiled, approving his understanding.

The rest of the afternoon went fairly smoothly. Jace kept on fighting and winning every match. I had gotten Ker not the fight and to sit with me in the stands. I didn't want him killing anyone today.

"Ker," I said, pointing at him.

He recognized his name, pointed to himself and said, "Ker!"

I then pointed to myself and said, "Liane," slowly.

"Lee-Ann," He repeated.

I smiled and said, "good!"

I continued to help him learn more English words like, "sword," "fight," and "weapon." He seemed to learn these words rather quickly, but other words like, "girl" and "boy" didn't stick so well. He also didn't seem to understand the concept of training, either.

Before I knew it, the other campers began heading for dinner.

I made sure he sat at the Ares table, even though he really seemed against it.

I walked over to the Apollo table and sat down at the very edge of the bench, with half my butt hanging off the side.

"Saw your battle with Jace today!" I looked up at Marcus across the table from me. "Don't worry, nobody can beat her, even the Ares kids!"

"Wow," I said. "That's impressive."

"Look's like dinner's about to start," Marcus said, looking up.

Chiron told his mealtime speech again and released us by table to eat.

Again, we went to the fire and sacrificed parts of our meals.

"Thanks Dad," I whispered, looking up at the sun. "I love it here." As my food began burning, I could smell a hint of sunflowers among the campfire smell. I walked away smiling.

After dinner, we had some free-time. Jace and I decided to hang out at the beach for the evening. Jace wore a bikini while I stuck with a good-old tankinni-one that covered my stomach.

"Wow Jace," I said, looking at her beach-wear. "I must say, you look HOT in a bikini."

Her finely-cut abs went well with her muscular arms and legs, yet she still had a very feminine figure. Her slightly-tanned skin, sparkly emerald eyes, and long, honey-blond hair made her look like a supermodel.

"I try," she said, trying to act modest.

Several other kids were swimming around, but Jace and I just sat in the warm sand and watched the sunset.

"I really like sunsets," Jace said thoughtfully. They're so beautifully colored!"

" like sunrises better, actually." I replied. "Sunsets are so draining! But I still like them a lot."

I noticed Ker walk towards me and sit down.

"Water," he said, pointing to the oceanic sound.

"Good," I said.

Jace scoffed. "Now that he beat me, he thinks he knows everything, don't you Ker?" She got in his face.

I pushed her back and said, "No one said he beat you," I replied. "He just got you by surprise."

Jace turned away, muttering angrily.

I turned to Ker and smiled. Touching his nose, I said, "nose."

He pointed to his nose and said, "nose."

I touched my nose and labeled it.

He did the same.

I touched both his ears and said, "ears."

"Ears," he said, touching them. Then he touched my ears and said, "ears."

I smiled. "Good."

We continued this with several body parts, reviewing old ones as well. It was similar to teaching a small child to talk, except Ker was actually older than me.

I had noticed when Jace left, but chose not to follow her. When the sun had finally sunk below the horizon, I left to change out of my swimsuit. It was then that I realized how tired I was.

I returned to Cabin seven after changing into my pajamas.

"Liane!" Marcus said upon my arrival. "We're going to sing campfire songs tonight, but you can go to sleep now, if you like. I think you've had a long enough day today."

I nodded sleepily and said "thank-you." I crawled into my bed and immediately began to drift of into sleep. Marcus had cleared out all of the other campers and turned off the lights. The open windows let in a warm evening breeze and the surround-sound began to play soft, soothing classical music.


	5. Jace is a thief

Chapter 5  
Jace is a Thief

I was standing in the hallway by the kitchen at my house. Was that whole half-blood thing a dream? Were things back to normal now? Questions were spinning through my head, until I heard some voices in the other room.

"I can't live like this," was a woman's voice. I quickly recognized it was my mom. "You're only here in the mornings and it's really worrying me."

"Listen, Catherine," the second voice was a younger man's. "I really can't be here all the time."

"Why?" My mom said, sincerely worried. "Is there another woman?"

"I'm not having an affair," the man said, "but I have to tell you something very serious. You need to believe me, okay?"

My mom sniffed. "Just tell me the truth, Fred."

"There's a reason I brought you here." The man, Fred, said. "To England, I mean."

"I thought it was because you didn't like the U.S. government?"

"I'm sorry, no." He paused. "Catherine, this may sound really crazy, but trust me, okay?"

"I will, just tell me the truth. I don't want to hear anymore lies."

"My name is not Fred."

"Please tell me you're not lying."

"I'm not," The man said, "You said you would trust me, but do you still trust me?"

"…Yes."

"I am Apollo, god of the sun, music, poetry and prophecy." He said.

"Please don't do this to me."

"I swear to Zeus that is who I truly am." Apollo said.

"Okay," she said. "I'll believe you, but, what does that mean for Liane?"

"She's a demigod," He stated. "Please just don't tell her who I really am. It will protect you both."

"…..Okay."

"There is a place for her, though. Where she can learn to protect you both," He continued. "It's called 'Camp Half-blood.' I want to take her there myself on her fourteenth birthday, when she'll be old enough. That's when I'll tell her who she really is myself."

"So you're telling me when you're taking her away?"

"It only has to be a summer camp, but I have to leave soon."

"No, I can't let you."

"Don't tell her who she is. It's safer that way."

"No, don't leave."

"I have to, it'll keep you both safer."

I could hear them kiss.

"Don't do this to us," my mom said.

"You can see me everyday," Apollo said. "Which is you're favorite, sunrise or sunset?"

"Sunrise, it's the time I always go to see you."

"Then look out at the horizon every morning at sunrise," Apollo said. "And think of me."

They kissed again.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

My eyes fluttered open. I could feel tears welling inside me and I slowly sat up. All of the other kids in the cabin were still asleep and the first rays of sunshine were coming through the window.

I could feel tears dripping down my cheeks as I softly walked out of the cabin.

I walked silently through camp until I reached the edge of the lake. I breathed deeply, trying to calm my tears.

I hadn't noticed noticed that Ker had followed me until he stopped, crunching some leaves next to me.

I whipped away my tears and turned to him. My arms were close to my chest when he wrapped his arms around me. He seemed to understand my emotions and it seemed like he had been feeling the same way.

I let him keep me in the bear hug while my tears dried.

After a few minutes, Ker touched my nose and said, "nose."

I smiled and held his hand in mine. We sat on the ground and I snuggled closer to him. There we sat, holding hands and looking out at the sunrise.

"We'd better go," I eventually said, but didn't move.

Ker only held me tighter.

I have no idea how long we had been sitting there before I heard footsteps behind us. I knew Ker had heard it too because his muscles tensed.

"Liane!" I heard Jace shouting, not very far away, "Liane, come out now! It's time for breakfast."

I quickly realized what Jace would think if she saw us like this.

"Not good," I told Ker in a low, but hurried voice. I scrambled to get up, but it was already too late.

I stood to see Jace standing in front of me. She started laughing, but while she was distracted, Ker grabbed her arms, holding her back.

"Ha-ha-ha…wait, what?" Jace said, soon realizing her restraints. She started kicking Ker's shins, but he hardly flinched.

I got up into her face and said, "You will not tell anyone about this, understood?" with my forefinger in her face.

"Oh I won't," she said looking me in the eyes, "but I can't make any promises for anyone else."

I looked around and saw a small group of kids huddled behind a tree. I shouted Ker's name and pointed to them. He dropped Jace, ran after them, grabbed Marcus with one hand, and punched him squarely in the eye. Ker then dropped him and let Marcus run off. He looked back and I heard Jace gasp. His left eye was closed and was covered in a large, developing purple bruise.

Jace ran after him, but not until I gave her a solid glare.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Everyone else had already started eating by the time I got to the pavilion, so I just went straight for the food. I asked my dad to "help make this day not turn out horrible." I sat down at the Apollo table and silently shoveled food down my throat.

I went back to the cabin-which was empty except for Marcus-and got ready for the day. /Where is it?/ I wondered to myself, looking for my ipod. I looked under my pillow, where I had left it, about a dozen times.

"Marcus," I asked, trying to stay calm.

"Yeah," he said, holding a raw steak over his left eye.

"Have you seen my ipod?" I glared at him with both eyes.

"No," He said plainly. "Maybe some Hermes kid took it."

/Jace/, I thought, /I'm going to kill you!/ and marched right into cabin 11.

"JACE!" I yelled for all to hear, "you stole it, didn't you?"

"Steal what?" She asked, also in a raised tone.

"I think you know what," I yelled.

"Actually, I think I might have stolen it," she yelled back.

"Give it back, Jace!"

"Why should I?"

I knew not to challenge her, especially at a time like this, so I stomped out.

After following a trail to the lake, I found a large rock and sat on it.

I lost all concept of time, but at some point, Jace sat down next to me. By this time, I had taken off my shoes and slipped my toes in the cool, blue lake. Jace plopped off her shoes and did the same.

"You hurt me today," I said.

She replied, "Yeah, I'm sorry about today. Marcus had been looking for you in the morning and saw you two. Like the wuss he is, he came back and shared the information with a bunch of us and so we had to go see. No one else was brave enough to get close, so they made me."

"So pretty much everyone knows…"

"Yeah…"

"So what did you do with my ipod?"

"…ipod?" She looked at me quizzically. "I didn't know you had one…"

"Didn't you steal it today?"

"No," she said, "I thought you were talking about this." She pulled out a small notebook and handed it to me. "You can have it back now."

"Wait," I said, grabbing the notebook, "What is this?"

"This is what I thought you were talking about. I thought you knew I stole it from Ker this morning," she explained, "It's a journal."

"Really..?" I said, thinking. "Did you read it?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's in Ancient Greek."

"You can read Greek?"

"Yes, and so can everyone else here at camp," She explained, then added, "Including you."

"Me?"

"I bet you've been diagnosed with ADD and Dyslexia, too."

"How did you know?"

"Most every half-blood has," she said, "see, your brain is wired for Ancient Greek, hence the dyslexia, and ADD is explained by the fact that we need good reflexes to fight off monsters and such. It ultimately makes sitting still hard for us."

"Oh, well that makes sense," I responded.

"I think you should read it," she told me.

"Okay," I said, opening to the first page.


	6. Ker's Journal

CHAPTER SIX  
Ker's Journal

I have never written before. I don't know why I'm able to do it now. I don't know why I understand Ancient Greek. I haven't even heard of it until I came to this camp. However, Chiron suggested I write my memories, experiences, and feelings since I have no one to talk to about them. He is one of the leaders of the camp, and he is trustworthy. He has been keeping children safe here for years, so I have deemed him as such. Whether he is my enemy or ally is yet to be seen, but I do not fear for my life with him.

The others in my cabin are warriors like me, though none of them have actually been in a war. Yes, they have trained and fought, but they haven't felt the fears and worries true warfare brings about. On my first day here, they attacked me. Naturally, I fought back, but I was too weak, and they triumphed easily. Since then, however, I seemed to have earned their respect.

Their attack was the last thing my body could take, and I was sent to the medical room. My wounds had become infectious, so I had fevers and didn't wake for days. I healed quickly, though. More quickly than was natural. They said it was because of a drink and bread combination known as Nectar and Ambrosia. They also said too much would kill a half-blood like me. They were stunned by how much I needed.

By half-blood, they mean demigod. I still find it hard to believe. My mother was mortal, my father was the god of war, known here as Ares. But as I think about it, it makes more sense. My mother had chosen to place the war god's name—Mohen—in mine, after my father's name—Inumin—of course. My father had even asked me once if I was truly his son. People always said I looked like my mother, never my father.

Even though it is clear to me who my true father is, I still don't want to believe it. I grew up with another man styling himself as my father, and I saw him as my father. There was no question until now.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

In this entry, I will cover my past. I feel the need to explain where I came from before I know where I'm going.

I got my first scar when I was four. It is the one on my left wrist, right over the vein. Back then, I didn't know danger, I didn't know fear, and I didn't know to protect myself even in sleep.

The assassin probably came through the window in the next room over, then sneaked into my room through my only door. He slits my wrist, waking me. I see the blood; it scares me. My eyes move up to see the assailant. He covers my mouth so I don't cry out. I am almost too scared to think, but the thoughts come. I must survive. I must remove the threat. It is what Father always taught me.

I lash out at the man, jumping to stand on my bed. He backs away, but only for a moment. His blade glints as it sails toward me. I block the arm and parry with my own knife. It finds his organs, but he doesn't react. He is trained well. He tries again. Turanth holds his arm back. My bodyguard and protector had heard our fight, and he has come to my aid. He is always there to help me.

I had lost a lot of blood that night, but the worst of it came when my father reprimanded me for my failure. I took it silently, as he had taught me. I promised myself I wouldn't let such a thing happen again.

Two years later, my father asked me the all important question, which only now do I know the answer to.

Father leans next to the kitchen sink, glowering. His arms are crossed, but he isn't off-guard. He's never off-guard. "Are you my son?"

"Yes, of course," I reply, blocking the tears as I had been taught. "I couldn't not be your son!"

"Then prove it!" Father shouts, dropping his arms and leaning forward.

I jump onto the counter with a dagger against his throat. Even now, I don't know how I made it across the room so quickly.

Father smiles. It is something I never see, and I am confused. He takes my wrist in his hand. It is gentle. He turns to face me directly.

"Yes, you are my son, and I love you dearly."

I blink back sudden tears. The dagger clatters to the ground and Father embraces me.

After that, my father saw fit to allow me into battle. All my training was finally put to use, and I impressed him. When I saw his pride for me, a strange feeling welled inside me. It was the love my father had mentioned. He loved me, and I loved him back. From then on, I always wanted to see him impressed by me.

When I was nine, a second assassin made it into my room. This time, however, I was better prepared.

I wake as soon as she enters my room, but I am not aware. Her blade slides down my wrist, much longer than the first cut from five years ago. I react instantly, kicking out at her side. She staggers back and I rush forward with the dagger I keep hidden under my pillow. She grabs my wrist and twists it around. Using the movement, she shoves me toward my bed. I turn around to see her knife flying toward me and duck just in time. I kick her legs out from under her and stab her in the heart. I rip a line of cloth to wrap around my wrist. Only then does Turanth come to me. He is impressed with my success and he gives me a smile. I like to see him impressed, like Father, but the blood loss has gotten to me now.

My third scar is from my tenth birthday. There was a battle. My side was losing, and I was sure a retreat would be called soon. I was one of the last standing.

The sword is arching toward me. I spin, but not in time. The sword clips my left arm.

The wound took longer to heal than I thought it would; it was my first big gash. I was lucky, though. It almost hit a vital artery, and I could have died then. Seeing it, my father was quite relieved I survived the battle, but I still see it as a bad block on my part. I could have avoided it.

The emotions I felt after Turanth's death caught me by surprise.

My protector, my bodyguard, my only friend, falls at my feet. He took the blow that was meant for me, and paid the price. It was what he was supposed to do. I should have known this would come, yet I am overwhelmed by despair. My knees crumple below me, and I fall to his side. He is already dead; there is nothing I can do for him. His assailant takes my moment of weakness to attack me from behind. I can do one thing for Turanth: Survive.

Though the blade is still stuck in my shoulder, I spin around and kill the attacker. Righteous anger flows through me, and I desire more revenge than what I just got. I pull the blade out of my back and use it to kill my enemies. I ignore all pain; the pain in my back, and the pain in my heart.

That was three moons ago. Maybe four. I lost track when I traveled half-way around the world. The world is much larger than my island, Lyrith. I never knew how large it was. I had always known there was life outside the island; our mythology states that life came to our island from outside. I now know our mythology is a version of the Greeks, which makes me wonder where my ancestors came from. It also makes me wonder why our deities are dragons, rather than humans.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It seems my last entry leads to the end of the war. It's hard to believe the fighting is over, but the Rebellionists triumphed. They took the throne from my father. It was the new ruler, Caranth, who told me how they succeeded. My mother was killed in the last battle, as the enemy surged into our home. There was no mercy, no second thought. She was just another soldier to be killed. My father fought with his back against the wall. He was the last standing among his men. The enemy pushed him to sit on the throne, which is when Caranth saw to him. He was taunted and tortured, but he showed neither pain nor fear. He, too, was killed.

My weapons have been removed. Caranth strolls into my room as though he owns everything. He is smiling at me. His minions have my arms pinned, and I can't struggle.

"All that's left is the little prince," he says. It takes me a minute to know what he's talking about, but when I grasp his meaning, I can't help but pale. He smirks. "Do you understand? Your life is over. Your parents are dead. Everyone is dead. I rule now." His smirk drops as he barks orders. "Take him to the dungeon. No food or drink. He is to be tortured to death."

Again, I pale. I can hardly breathe for fear. I stumble along with the guards holding me tight. For a moment, I let myself go, I let the tears come. Father is dead. Mother is dead. Turanth has been dead for some moons. I am alone.

I have stopped crying by the time we are at the dungeons. Caranth has followed us. I glare defiantly at him as I am tied down. The board they place me on is vertical, and only supports where my hands and feet are tied, as well as a rope across my chest.

As he did with Father, Caranth taunts me as his minions stab and slash, kick and punch. He leans in close, his mouth almost touching my ear.

"You are alone. The fighting is over and I have won. Your father is dead. I killed him myself, you know. He begged for you to live. His begging is probably what prompted me to give you this extra time."

I keep still. I won't let anything betray my emotions. The tears won't come, I won't cry out, he will not see me beg.

Caranth steps back and paces the cell again. I follow him with my eyes. "Your mother was an easy kill. I don't even know who got to her. She was just another soldier in the battle. She was nothing, just like every other soldier fighting for you."

I will not scream. I will not cry. I will show no emotion.

"How does it feel to know you have lost, that you are alone? There is no one left for you. There's nothing left for you, actually. You will die here. This is your end."

He takes one of the knives and pushes it into the wood. It is close enough to my neck to cut it. The force makes me whimper. I will not cry.

"Keep going until he is unconscious. I have matters of state to attend to." He leaves.

I will not scream. I will not cry. I will show no emotion.

But it hurts so much.

I am woken by a bucket of water thrown over me. The torture starts again. Caranth is still mocking me. I am losing myself. I must stay strong. For Father. For Mother. For Turanth.

It is the fifth session. I can barely hold on. I know I will give in soon. The scream is waiting to leave my lips. Caranth sees it too. He takes a dagger and pushes it deeper than the guards had.

I give in, I scream. I pray to Mohen he can forgive my weakness, but the pain is unbearable. Caranth smiles. "Keep going until he begs." I should have known he wouldn't stop. I hold back the screams, but the tears flow freely.

It is the eighth session. It is over for me. I can't look at Caranth as I begin to beg.

"No... stop! Please, stop it!"

Caranth puts his hand under my chin and forces my head up. He is smiling again.

"Say it again."

"Make it stop...!"

Caranth throws his other arm out, signaling the guards to stop. Tears stream down my face. Caranth backs away to take two daggers. He pushes them into the wood above my wrists, taking some of the skin off in the process.

"Again," he says, "Only stop when he is unconscious."

"No!" but it does nothing. I knew it would do nothing, but I am broken. I pray to Mohen for strength.

A man clad in strange armor comes to me in my fitful sleep. He doesn't speak, and then I am awake. I am alone, except for a guard standing at the cell door. His back is to me. I look down to see the knives still by my wrists. I struggle to lift my hands so I can cut the ropes. I bite back the scream of pain, but it is easier to hold back now that I have a purpose. In my weakened mind, I see my goal. Father always told me to survive.

Cutting the rope takes a lot of work, and my body almost can't withstand the pain. When I am free, I take the knives. It isn't hard to kill the guard. I have escaped the cell, but I hear footsteps approaching. I don't have much time. I head off in the opposite direction, heart pounding. I am slow from the pain, but I know my goal.

The sound of shouting comes to my ears, and I know I must hide before they come looking. I stifle a gasp as I dive behind some storage boxes. I hear running from where I just was. They pass me. I hold my breath, hoping no others come to investigate my hiding place. I listen intently. I can hear that Caranth is angered, but it seems I am alone. I chance a look behind me.

It is clear. I begin to make my escape, my senses alert for any signs that they notice me. Wincing, I creep out of the dungeons and into the trees. I hear soldiers searching up ahead. I decide I should change my clothes and find something to eat and head to the first home I see. No one is there, so I change quickly. I step outside.

"Hello, Ker."

I freeze. It is the man from my dream. I can't read his face. He almost seems... proud.

"You know me as Mohen," the man states.

I can't hide my surprise as I back away slowly. He can't possibly be the war god. The gods are dragons, not humans.

"But my real name is Ares," he continues conversationally, "and I am your father. Your real father."

I shake my head, my back pressed against the wall of the home from which I stole the clothes. "My father is dead," I manage to say.

"Inumin was your surrogate father. Lacrith told the two of you that he was the father so she wouldn't look unfaithful."

The man and I turn at the sound of approaching voices. I prepare to run, but the man looks back at me.

"It's time we get out of here." He holds his hand out to me. "Come, you'll be safe at Camp Half-Blood."

I stare at him, then his hand, then look into the trees. I run. I know it is pointless, since I can't get far in my condition. When the man catches up to me, I stab at him with one of the daggers I still have. However, he grabs my wrist and twists me around so I face him. He seems to have grown taller.

"Come on!" he says. Next thing I know he's dragging me through the forest until we reach a contraption somewhat resembling a wagon. He shoves me onto a platform with a wall in front and behind, and then takes hold of some ropes. He cracks them and I follow the ropes with my eyes. They are attached to two large beasts I don't recognize. They begin running on four legs and we are in the air.

I grab onto the wall in front of us. I shout, "What is this?"

"It's a chariot, Ancient Greek style, just the way I like it."

I look to the man and find that he is smirking down at me. He seems to be normal size again, and I think I had imagined his change in size.

Within moments, we are clear of the trees and soaring over the water. My knees buckle, but I manage to stay standing.

"Do you know any English?" the man asks.

"English?" The word sounds familiar. "Is that what the Americans spoke? They came to the island a few years ago, but I never met them."

"Yes, Americans speak English."

"I learned a little from my mother, but I don't remember any of it."

The man sighed. "Greek it is."

"What do you mean?" I ask, perplexed.

"I don't actually know your language, so I decided to stick with Greek. It's hard-wired in all demigods."

My jaw drops. We aren't speaking my language? How is that possible?

"By that I mean it's natural for you to understand and speak Greek," the man explains. "Like it's natural for a bird to know how to fly."

I struggle to understand what he's saying.

We don't talk much more the rest of the trip, and before I know it, we are landing. The man steps down on the ground and I follow, albeit on unsteady feet. He points to the structure to my right and says, "This is my cabin, where you'll be staying with your half-brothers and -sisters." He gives me a knowing smile, as though I should be in on a secret with him. "There's a lot of fighting going on in this cabin." He claps me on the shoulder—which makes me wince, but I try not to show it—and steps onto the chariot again. "See ya, kid!" and he is gone.

I stare, bewildered, at the spot he just left. Then I hear voices behind me and I come to my senses. I spin around, daggers at the ready; a group of teenagers walk out of the cabin.

The group looks to me. I quickly size them up, and see that they are doing the same to me. There are three girls and three boys, all older and bigger than me. One of them speaks, but I don't understand.

The group rounds on me menacingly. I tighten my grip on my daggers.

The boy in front looks cocky, with his arms crossed. If it comes to a fight, he will be sorry. He is the one talking. Since I don't reply, they are getting angered.

I shift into a more stable stance, feeling the moment of attack nearing.

Then all six of the group have weapons out. I jump at the leader before they can circle me, but the rest are already attacking. I block and parry and fight and defend, but there are just too many of them, and my body is too weakened. It doesn't take long for one of the girls to grab my wrist, twist it up behind my back, and shove me to the ground. I cry out in pain, feeling every cut along my body ripping open at the impact. I am dizzy with pain.

The group is laughing. The girl who pushed me down is starting to stand when she notices the blood escaping the wound in my shoulder, the one I got when Turanth was killed.

She says something with surprise in her voice. Her knee is still pressed to the small of my back, but she quickly backs off and offers her hand to help me up. There is no way I can trust any of them, so I stand on my own. I sway as the blood rushes from my head, making me dizzy again.

The girl is ripping my shirt, revealing my wound. There are gasps, and she removes the shirt completely. I find that I would have fallen if she wasn't holding me.

I am no longer following their words. The world is spinning around me, and my knees buckle. There are worried noises around me, and many hands help me to stand again.

I am being ushered somewhere. I am lying on my side. A cup is being pressed to my lips, and I drink. I am lying on my back, my shoulder bandaged and no longer bleeding. A wet cloth is dabbing my forehead.

"Just rest now, you'll be safe."


	7. I witness a shocking scene

CHAPTER SEVEN  
I witness a shocking scene

"Wow," I said in dismay. I watched a teardrop land in the notebook so I rubbed my eyes. "I just...can't really believe it. No child should have to endure that."

"I know what you mean," Jace was looking at her feet. "You got so mad at me after I stole it, so I decided to read it. I wanted to know why you had gotten so worked up. It make me somber so I decided to bring it to you, before I put it back."

"Thanks," I said sincerely.

"Well, I still need to put it back," she said, now looking at me, "before he notices."

"Oh," I replied, handing her the notebook, "right."

Jace left me there, but I soon left as well, heading for the cabins.

In the courtyard, there were fountains, statues of the gods, and even a couple basketball courts. I sat at the base of one of these fountains and looked into the crystal water. Strangely enough, there weren't any coins sitting at the bottom.

Ker sat silently beside me and grabbed my hand. It was then that I noticed the scars across his wrists. The one on his right was twice as long as the one on his left wrist. There was also a four-inch scar running the length of his upper-left arm. He also had hundreds of scratches on his tan, muscular body. I kissed him lightly on the cheek and saw him smile. I smiled, too, and felt heat in my cheeks.

Looking at the sky, I noticed that the sun was almost directly overhead.

"Lunchtime!" I said, smiling at him.

Ker looked at me, confused.

I stood up and tugged at his wrist. "Com on, we need to get some food," I said, yet he remained there. I pilled on him harder, even though I knew it was no use. He pulled me quickly into a tight hug. I could hardly breathe, but I didn't care. When he released me, he stood up. It was then that I realized he was a couple inches shorter than me. We walked to the mess hall, hand-in-hand.

Ker still didn't want to sit at the Ares table, so I asked Chiron to explain it to him, seeing as I didn't speak Greek.

The Apollo table was giggling as I approached. I sat right next to Marcus and whispered, "Laugh all you want, but I know that you only wish we were you and Jace."

His laughing stopped and his face turned bright red, contrasting nicely with his purple eye. The rest of the table also ceased their giggles, even though I'm pretty sure none of them heard me.

I looked over at table five and smiled at Ker, who was sitting away from the others. He smiled back, hiding his discomfort.

I ignored Chiron's speech and kept Ker's still had a boyish face, but his deep brown eyes were of a strong-willed man. His dark hair had some length, but was kept completely out of his earthy eyes. His whole complexion was so strong, and cute!

The rest of the day went by rather smoothly until right after dinner. That was when things got a little messy.

"The blue team is officially the Athena, Apollo, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus cabins," Chiron announced while we stood in front of the forest. "That leaves Ares, Hermes, Demeter, and Dionysus for the red team."

Everyone nodded in excitement. We all pretty much knew by that time and already had made some plans.

"You all should know the rules," Chiron continued, "No killing and no maiming, please. The first team to get the other team's flag across the river wins!" He blew the whistle that was around his neck and most people fled into the forest to take their positions. I made sure Ker stayed in the stands before I left. We didn't want him killing anyone today.

I climbed up a tree near where Marcus was standing. There I stashed several bundles of arrows.

I gripped my long-range bow while I readied an arrow. Marcus did the same with his short-range bow. His was also equipped with metal tips for close combat. I glanced back at our blue flag. It was expertly hidden in a blueberry bush and for a moment, I couldn't tell it was there. I looked at Marcus and we nodded silently to one another.

I heard Chiron's whistle again and cocked my arrow, waiting for anyone to approach. The tree I was in gave me a good view in several directions and in one place, I could see all the way to the river.

I saw one red team member run across the river and I shot him in the leg. I could see him fall, and someone came to pick him up.

Everyone else seemed to have learned not to use that gap, but I still had caught some others trying different trails.

I was happy to see anyone I had hit get carried off. It made me feel better about hurting them a little.

Someone attacked Marcus from behind a tree. He instinctively shielded the sword attack with his bow. I quickly realized who it was. Jace.

"Jace!" Marcus said, "lower your sword for a few seconds. I need to say something to you, okay?"

She released the tension on his bow and lowered her weapon. "What?" Jace sounded annoyed.

"I.." Marcus began, then continued in a fast voice, "I think I'm in love with you." He immediately dropped his bow, put both hands on her cheeks, pulled her in a little, and kissed her.

Jace's face was still stunned, but her amazement quickly turned to rage. She slapped him in the face, kneed him in the stomach, and then knocked him over with the hilt of her sword.

I was so dazed that I hadn't noticed her grab our flag until I saw her running off with it in her hand. It was time to take action.

I shot her arm and she dropped the flag, but picked it back up. I shot her leg right before she reached the river and she fell over, but managed to get back up and stumbled across the river. We had lost.

I soon realized that marcus was still sitting there, so I hopped out of the tree. He had a bloody nose and was unconscious. I checked his pulse and made sure he was still breathing. After checking his vitals, I tried to wake him up.

He groaned.


End file.
